Miriam has a Bachelor’s degree in Family Studies from Brigham Young University Idaho with an emphasis in family life education. She has 3 years of experience working with children at several schools, two of which were Montessori influenced. Miriam has also worked with children as a nanny and as a family specialist. She has developed a love and appreciation for the Montessori philosophy and is grateful to be working with children in an environment that seeks to nurture children in a holistic manner.

In her free time Miriam enjoys spending time with family and friends, going on outdoor adventures, attending performances, and finding new ways to grow and develop as a person. 

Roni has a Bachelor’s degree from Humboldt State University. She originally studied in the pre-veterinary program at UC Davis but completed her degree at Humboldt State University after discovering her passion for teaching. She has been an educator for 20 years, working with students of all ages—from preschool through high school, as well as adults.

In 2003, Roni moved to Barcelona, Spain, to immerse herself in a Spanish-speaking culture and prepare for a bilingual teaching credential program. Over the past 20 years, she has lived, worked, and formed a family in Barcelona. She is fluent in Spanish, English, and Hebrew (her maternal language), and has a high level of comprehension in Catalan.

In Barcelona, Roni has worked as an English teacher, high school language assistant, and English program coordinator. In 2019, she began working at a Montessori school with preschool-aged children, an experience that has inspired her in new and wonderful ways. She is a certified Montessori co-guide from Montessori Canela in Barcelona and has undergone training in Positive Discipline, Nonviolent Communication, Mindfulness, and Music Therapy to enhance her teaching style.

Roni is energetic and passionate about working with children. Outside of work, she is a mother to three wonderful girls of mixed race. Her family background and current family reflect true diversity. Tolerance, communication, love, and understanding are very important to her.

She enjoys visiting museums, discovering nature, hiking, camping, gardening, and participating in water-related activities.

Emillie has a Bachelor of Science degree in General Education from Utah State University and an Early Childhood Montessori credential through the Institute for Guided Studies. Prior to joining the Elizabeth Academy staff, she worked as a lead teacher for three years in an Early Childhood classroom at Dancing Moose Montessori School in West Valley.

Hadley was originally a philosophy and premed student, but she fell in love with the field of education in 2015, after taking a job at a preschool in Seattle. Since then, she has come to realize there’s no other kind of work in the world she would rather do. She completed her Elementary Education Bachelors of Science with the University of Utah and is currently working toward an IMC Early Childhood credential.

When not at work, Hadley likes to embroider, watch movies, dance, backpack, and do all kinds of arts and crafts. She enjoys vintage fashion and mending or making clothes. Currently, she lives in Salt Lake City with her partner, their 3 massive cats, and about two dozen house plants; but she’s lived in 11 ½ different US states throughout her life so far. Each new place came with new people and a different way of living. Over the years, all these experiences taught her the importance of being able to simultaneously honor the things that make each of us unique and recognize the things that make all of us human. She is thrilled to be part of the outstanding Elizabeth Academy learning community!

Domita has an associates degree in Early Childhood education and experience in project-based learning. She joined the Elizabeth Academy / Garfield School staff in 2021, bringing seven years of teaching experience. Domita worked with infant, toddlers, and preschool aged students at the Palm Valley School in Rancho Mirage, California.

Her favorite hobbies include reading, hiking, and spending time with her husband and fur babies.

I’m Gillian! I was born and raised along the Wasatch Front, and have called Salt Lake City home for the past eight years. My journey into the world of intuitive and empowered childcare began shortly after high school when I had the opportunity to volunteer at an orphanage in Romania. I spent 5 months in Europe, and it was there that I was first introduced to the Montessori method, Italy of all places. It sparked a deep-seated passion for this unique approach to education. Since that pivotal experience, I have immersed myself in the Montessori community, working in various private education settings within the Salt Lake City area. My career has also extended to roles as a household manager and private nanny for several local families, further enriching my understanding and practice of child-centered care and maintaining a safe environment. I have a heart full of playfulness, endless curiosity, and an unwavering commitment to finding joy in life, and I feel that embodies the spirit of Montessori education. My approach to teaching is a perfect alignment with the nature of work in a childcare setting, where the focus is on nurturing each child’s individual strengths and fostering a lifelong love of learning. Outside of educating, I love to be outside hiking, camping, traveling, and exploring. I am so thankful to be here at Elizabeth Academy!

Alina was raised in Alpine Utah, and moved to SLC during high school. During her senior year at Highland High, she enjoyed a focus on child development curriculum. She worked at a preschool within the Child Behavioral Therapy Unit, helping to integrate kids with autism into the classroom setting.

After some college experience, Alina enjoyed traveling and being a nanny to many children in Portland, OR, Denver, CO and Kauai, HI.

Alina began working with Montessori curriculum during summer programs, and has loved working with the Infant/Toddler program at Elizabeth Academy. She is in her third year with EA, and attends UMC conferences and trainings whenever possible.

Liz has a Masters Degree in Early Childhood Education and a Bachelor’s Degree in Child Psychology from Boston University. She is completing her AMS Lower Elementary Montessori credentials from The Center of Guided Montessori Studies. Liz decided on education as a career path because she has a profound love for helping others learn and grow.  This will be Liz’s first year teaching at Elizabeth Academy and she is excited to be a part of our community! 

Liz was born in Massachusetts where she has lived for most of my life and has taught Kindergarten for five years. She moved to Utah this summer with her husband Jeff and dog Bentley. She loves reading, especially mystery and thriller novels. Her other interests include going on hikes and spending time with friends and family.

Melissa holds a Bachelor of Science degree from the North Dakota State University in design and has an AMS Lower Elementary Credential from Westminster College’s Institute for Montessori Innovation.

She has taught at North Dakota State University teaching design courses and was a guest teacher for the Granite School District. She has fulfilled teaching assignments across all subject areas, teaching students of varied academic/age levels and diverse cultural backgrounds in sixty-three elementary schools. She has volunteered for an ESL program teaching English and new life skills to English learners, and has worked closely with NDSU professors gathering data and writing research on understanding student’s individual learning styles.

Melissa enjoys camping, boating, car shows, and a number of creative outlets with her husband and daughter.

Dawn holds a Master of Arts degree in German Literature from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and a Bachelor of Arts degree in History and German from Cornell College. She has an AMS Lower Elementary Montessori Credential from Westminster College’s Institute for Montessori Innovation.

Dawn has been teaching for over 20 years at a variety of levels. She has been with Elizabeth Academy since 2013. Dawn has been a Montessori teacher at Montessori at Riverton and at the Montessori School at Lone Tree in Highlands Ranch, Colorado. She also has four years of experience teaching World History and German to high school students.

Her hobbies are hiking and traveling with her husband Keith and son Gregory, reading, drawing/painting, cooking, and cheering at her son’s hockey games (Dawn is a proud hockey mom!)